I’m Melting!

As I've been getting more familiar with the town, I'm starting to recognize its cycles. The seasons and weather have a significant influence on just about everything, from the comings and goings of the people here – some here for summer, some for winter and some all year – to the economic shifts and the changing optiHons for outdoor activities.

Today is Thursday, March 23 and the ski season looks to be nearing its end. This article in the Aspen Times today expresses the concern, not only for the loss of business from skiing but also the impact that the early snow melt has on, well just about everything. At least everything that matters.

In Atlanta, the weather impacted life outside as well. The summers got too hot and humid to want to do anything outdoors except perhaps lounge on a raft in a pool and the overwhleming pollen made even the lovely springs intolerable outside. Pretty much every year there was a debilitating ice storm or two that shut down everything. But basically it is like so many other cities – focused on "indoor" life.

Aspen is different. And it's one of the reasons I love it. Sure, there are days when it's not much fun to go out. Rainy afternoons or blinding snowstorms come to mind. But into each life and all that. And frankly, the rain is welcomed in order to keep everything green and healthy and the snow is celebrated – if maybe only by people like me, the next day when it creates soft banks of powder your skis cut through like butter.

As the article says, we could easily get another storm to "bank things up" so to speak. And we probably will. But we CANNOT deny there's a bigger story going on. And that unless things change – in politics and corporate corruption in particular – and change FAST – this problem will continue to destroy our planet.